Bahrain hosted the Grand Prix Formula One race today. Mercedes’ Nico Rosberg won the race, followed by Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen in second place and Lewis Hamilton, also Mercedes, in third.

Here are seven tidbits shared by F1 champions on the Bahrain race.

Gold Cutlery for F1 Drivers:

According to race champion Nico Rosberg, he had to rummage through his breakfast in gold cutlery. He even shared the photograph with his 1.2 million followers on Twitter. To his credit, he did remember those less fortunate.

Lewis Hamilton dressed up in Arab garb as he made his entry into the circuit and loved it. He brags to his 3.6 million followers on Twitter that wearing the long flowing white robe made and Arab head gear made him feel “royal”:

And what's a desert without a good sandstorm? Luckily, there was a bit of rain on the first day of the qualifying runs, and no sandstorm. Max Verstappen's met report is not accurate and his worst nightmare didn't come true — but he did finish in sixth place in the race.

Away from the action on the track, muted protests continued in the restive country, where a popular Arab Spring-like uprising in February 2011 was faced by a severe government crackdown.

Many, including Amnesty International, feel the race whitewashes severe human rights abuses which continue to this day. In a statement, it said:

This weekend Bahrain hosts the Formula One Grand Prix, a glamorous event putting the country in the international spotlight. Away from the racing circuit Amnesty International has continued to documented a range of appalling human rights violations.

“Behind the fast cars and the victory laps lies a government that is tightening its chokehold on any remnant of dissent in the country by stepping up arrests, intimidation and harassment of political opposition, critics and activists. The alarming erosion of human rights in Bahrain in recent years means that anyone who dares to criticize the authorities or call for reform risks severe punishment,” said James Lynch, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa.

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